These 10 Editor-Approved Pieces Are the Key to Elegant Living

A delicate take on the traditional wingback, this chair from the Amber Lewis x Four Hands collab “feels like a little bit of a hug,” Carisha says. “It has a beautiful curve, so even though it’s armless, it surrounds your back and envelops you.” The materials—oak framing, a natural rush back, and a linen-blend cushion cover—lend an appealing organic vibe to the high-design shape.

There’s no such thing as “enough storage,” but this 84-inch sideboard from Amber Lewis x Four Hands gets pretty close. “I always feel like it’s worth investing in a multipurpose piece, because of all the different ways you can use it throughout your life,” Carisha says. “It can be in an entry, a dining area, you can put a TV on it or over it…. Plus, you don’t often see this super-dark, almost onyx finish, which is great because it can live in so many different styles and in a myriad of spaces.”

Reeded drawer fronts, round wooden pulls, and gently tapered legs soften and texturize the traditional squared-off silhouette on this Amber Lewis x Four Hands piece. The different drawer sizes and knob configurations further disrupt the uniformity and keep the eye moving, so the highly practical piece takes on a bouncy, playful air. The weathered-oak finish can read contemporary or coastal, depending on its surroundings.

Hard marble yields to soft curves in this sculptural table from the Amber Lewis x Four Hands collection. The base is a sleek, minimalist take on classic wooden turned furniture legs, with the swirl of veining in the Sawar marble emphasizing the curves. “A pedestal table is the easiest transition piece you’ll ever own,” Carisha notes. “It can be an entryway table, a card table, or a dining table.”

Lewis took her design inspiration for this oak bookcase from European antiques, and it shows. “This feels to me like she was browsing through the Parisian flea market,” says Carisha. “The lines are super-simple—it’s really about the beautiful wood and the tonality, which makes it feel like a ‘found’ piece. But it’s not, and what’s great about that is that you can have two—something you miss when you buy something you love at an antiques show or a consignment shop. So if you want to flank a fireplace, you can.”

Our final selection from the Amber Lewis x Four Hands line is another example of sophisticated design details rendered in natural colors and materials. The tufted headboard and kick pleat make it feel clean and tailored. Drapey linen in a soothing olive color is both plush and inviting.

Distressed graphite concrete gives this simple shape some serious heft, while its textured surface keeps it from feeling in any way assembly-line. The elegant color and modern form allow the table to level up as a surprising industrial accent in a luxurious living room, or as a weatherproof (and kid-proof, pet-proof, and party-proof) anchor piece for a casual outdoor seating arrangement.

This cast-concrete pedestal table with a travertine water-transfer pattern exemplifies refined design paired with indestructible construction. “I’m a fan of everything indoors-outdoors,” Carisha says. “If it can handle the outdoors, it can handle the chaos that is your indoor life!”

Carisha likes these glass-and-brass sconces from Schwung for three reasons: First, each globe is individually blown, shaped, and sculpted, lending handcrafted character. Second, the fixtures can be mounted pointing either up or down. And third, the matte globe casts a warm, diffused light. “I don’t like to see a bulb in a bedside lamp,” she says. “You want a soft glow, rather than light shining directly in your face.”

“We’re still in the world of work-from-home,” Carisha says, “but we’ve realized that we need space to spread out.” The Torrington not only provides an expansive surface and generous storage space, but its flip top corrals and conceals cords. More proof that home offices can stand up to office-offices in terms of amenities: The desktop has a wireless charging station built right into the surface.